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Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.

No. 35, Ryan Ritter (-0.1 rWAR)

Good news! We’ve made it to the final player in the rWAR negatives. From here, we’ve got a couple neutral 0.0 rWAR players before the upswing into positive territory.

The final player toeing the line is 25-year-old infielder, Ryan Ritter. The prospect continues to show sparks at the minor league level but hasn’t been able to translate that into production in the majors in limited chances.

Ritter started 2025 strong, putting up fantastic numbers with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. Over the course of 55 games, he slashed .303/.405/.610, adding 16 homers and 50 RBI on 66 hits. His scorching run set him up for a promotion and his major league debut. In total, he posted 60 games with the Rockies, mostly at second base, missing some time with injuries. His numbers didn’t quite match his minor league output but were still very respectable for a rookie, with a slash line of .241/.296/.337.

Coming into this year, Ritter kept that momentum going with a strong 2026 Spring Training, where he worked to diversify his playing portfolio with some reps in outfield positions. That was not called upon in his regular season appearances given the number of outfielders on the roster competing for time. Instead, he primarily played second base again with the Rockies. Ritter appeared in 13 MLB games in 2026, with 10 games at second base. He also appeared in three games at shortstop and had limited action at third base, shifting there to close out a game after starting at second.

His Triple-A production continues to be strong. He went .323/.430/.460 in 60 games with the ‘Topes. He flashes some power in the minors, with five home runs, 12 triples, and two doubles on 73 total hits. His main struggle is maintaining that power and consistency against major league talent.

On the offensive side of the ball with Colorado this season, he had 19 at-bats that were mostly ineffective. He logged three hits (all singles), scored two runs, and notched one RBI. With no extra-base hits, his batting average and his slugging percentage were both only .158. He ended the year with more strikeouts (eight) than hits. He was ultimately optioned back down after a short stint with the big-league club.

Reviewing Ritter’s season at the end of last year, the big question for Paul DePodesta was whether Ritter had made a strong enough case to stay on the roster. That question remains, and perhaps is even bigger, after 2026. Ritter has shown that he has the talent and he’s also shown that he’s willing to adapt and grow. Unfortunately, it is seems like that talent might have a minor-league ceiling. With his strong on-base production in Albuquerque providing some encouragement, Ritter remains an intriguing depth option for the Rockies and may earn another look, but his path to a consistent major league role is becoming less clear.

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Jared Thomas (No. 8 PuRP) played in the Arizona Fall League last year and hit .302/.343/.524 through 17 games despite battling a hamate bone injury discovered late in the season. After the season ended, he got it repaired but then hit a snag with his recovery, resulting in him not making his 2026 debut until July 6 with the ACL Rockies.

Thomas played four games for the ACL team, including the championship game, before finally making his way back to Double-A Hartford. There, he played in 28 games and managed to hit .270/.341/.405 with seven extra-base hits (three doubles and four homers), 15 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

That proved to be highlight of his season.

“The highlight was getting back up and playing,” Thomas said. “When the clock reset a couple times, you never see the light at the end of the tunnel. At least I didn’t. It’s the most I’ve ever spent away from the game, so I learned a lot. But the highlight was definitely getting back out and being in a good environment, going back to a clubhouse with a bunch of guys that I know. It was fun.”

During his recovery, Thomas had a lot of downtime. But it made him realize, “The game doesn’t stop for you.”

“The game doesn’t stop, no matter who you are, no matter what you’re going through,” he emphasized. “So just being diligent, going about your business every single day and really trusting the process — I think that was one thing that I learned. There’s a lot of time to think bad or good things. The more you can keep telling yourself the good, the easier it is. So I think patience was a big thing, and just a positive attitude.”

Luckily for Thomas, he had other rehabbing players to sympathize with and help him get through everything. Infielder Blake Wright was someone he leaned on.

“He was going through his own stuff, too, but he kept a great attitude about it and that forced me to do the same thing,” Thomas recalled. “So being able to have guys like that and other guys around the Complex going through the same struggles, I guess, really helped me out. So just being present in the moment and finding people who care.”

Coming into his second Fall League, Thomas had a clear plan.

“First and foremost, just getting back to being comfortable in the box,” he said. “[I’m] still going through a couple hiccups, but just getting more at-bats under my belt — some that I missed at the beginning of the year when I was out. So just feeling like myself in the box, just being more comfortable and then getting out of here healthy and good into a good offseason.”

This was something that Rockies senior director of player development, Chris Forbes, also emphasized about Thomas.

“Jared Thomas needs the at-bats desperately,” Forbes said in September, “and I know it’s kind of a relapse back into that league, but we just asked him, ‘Do you want to go to Puerto Rico? Do you want to go to the DR or Mexico? Or do you want to stay here?’ Because he really wants to lock in with our strength coaches, too, and we’re hosting on our side, so I think that’s huge.”

So far through 14 AFL games, Thomas is hitting .239/.327/.457 with three doubles, two triples, a home run and five stolen bases. Many of those stats were added this past week, as he went go 5-for-13 with four runs scored, two of his three doubles, both triples, nine RBI, two walks, four strikeouts and a stolen base. That was enough for him to be named among the AFL’s top performers for Week 3.

In addition to getting his swing back, Thomas is also having to adjust to the new outfield positioning rules that are being experimented with at Salt River Fields.

“It’s different, man. I think they’re trying to make the game more offensive, which is interesting to see,” he said.

“The gaps are bigger. Obviously, we’re playing a lot more shallow in the outfield, so it makes you definitely work a little bit harder in the outfield. You’ve got to be on top of your game. Everybody in center, right, left… they’re all going to be center fielders at the end of the day. You’re going to have to have some speed and have good reads on the ball. It’s cool that they’re experimenting with different rules like that. I don’t really have any good or bad feelings about it.”

Thomas is also looking forward to getting back on the field and interacting with fans, as he’s very “personable.”

“I enjoy having conversations with people, especially kids when they come up to [me],” he said. “I was one of those kids. I loved the game growing up, and I loved being able to have a chance of talking to a kid that was playing professional baseball, so I look forward to those conversations. I’m a pretty open book. I like when guys come up and ask questions.”

There’s one fan in particular that he’s built a great relationship with in Hartford.

“There was this guy – I don’t really recall his name – in Hartford, even last year and going into this year when I showed back up, I always did a really good job of signing for him. And he would trade me Josh Hamilton baseball cards,” he said. “That was my hero growing up. So (I’ll) sign a couple cards for him, give him some broken bats, and he’s always tightening me up with some Josh Hamilton cards.”

But most of all, Thomas is, “excited to feel good again in the box.”

“I know I’m close. I feel like I’m getting closer by the day. So just being able to go up there with, like, uber confidence and going up there (with) just I mean true belief in what’s going on. I’m ready to feel really, really, really good again.”

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It’s that most exciting time of the year when we guess what the Guardians will do in arbitration decisions! Who will they tender a contract to? Who will they trade? Who will they bid a fond adieu? Strap in, this is gonna be a wild ride!

MLB Trade Rumors’ arbitration projections are usually pretty accurate, so they are basis for these projections. I think Adell’s is high by $1-2M, but the rest seem about right to me. Without further fan-fare, here’s how I see things shaking out by Friday, November 20th’s 5PM ET non-tender deadline:

Sure Tenders:

Jo Adell – $9.6M
Steven Kwan – $11.3M
Colin Holderman – $2.3M
Patrick Bailey – $2.3M
Gavin Williams – $4.8M
Hunter Gaddis – $2.2M
Tim Herrin – $1.3M
Brayan Rocchio – $3.1M
Cade Smith – $5.5M

Analysis: Even if the Guardians are not interested in keeping Adell, Herrin or even Holderman, these players would have too much trade value to non-tender them at these amounts. I expect every player on this list to be back with the Guardians in 2027, but, if you had to guess which could be traded… you know, I wonder if Rocchio might have some potential in that line. I think the team really likes Genao, and there are probably some teams out there who like the idea of a good defensive shortstop who MIGHT be an average hitter. Something to monitor… otherwise, I think Kwan is the most likely trade, but still pretty unlikely. With a lockout making the number of games for 2027 uncertain, I don’t think a team will offer the Guardians enough value to move on from a player who should be their centerfielder for 2027 (with folks like Aaron Walton and Jaison Chourio trying to earn next look there in 2028).

Unsure Tenders:

Slade Cecconi – $2M
David Fry – $1.3M
Matt Festa – $1.5M

Analysis: IF the team sees Cecconi as a likely middle-reliever, I think he’s either traded or non-tendered. If they see him as a potential high leverage guy or have a plan to get him back to starting, than $2M makes sense. If I had to guess, I think Fry and Festa are probably non-tendered. Fry has had basically two and a half seasons to prove he can be that lefty masher while mostly failing. It’s probably preferable to let the next version of what they tried in Rhys Hoskins for 2026 in free agency (Ty France, Ryan Mountcastle, Alec Bohm, Gary Sanchez, etc) try this role, or let Kody Huff see if he can provide a fascimile of Fry’s output. Festa is a serviceable middle relief arm, but I think they’ll probably want this money to pursue at least one more relief arm with a higher ceiling.

Clear Non-Tenders:

Blake Perkins – $900K

Analysis:

Farewell, Blake, we hardly knew ye.

What are your thoughts and predictions on this group? Let us know in the comments below.

Wanted: a manager for 25 adorable childrenbaseball players who occasionally act like children

In Mary Poppins, the two Banks children put together a list of what they’re seeking in a perfect nanny: someone who is sweet and kind, never cross nor cruel, and who doesn’t smell of “barley water” (which seems to be less of a requirement and more a forced rhyme for “son and daughter”). The children, of course, are spoiled and greedy in their demands, but then rewarded with the perfect nanny anyway, because apparently they are Dodger fans. For those of us who live in the real world, we can’t just draw up a list of ideal characteristics and hope to find someone who hits every one – certainly no one who’s ever swiped through a dating app would tell you that – but there are some traits at the top of our list for the next Mariners manager. Here’s what’s most important to the members of the LL staff:

Kate: A clear communicator who takes initiative

So many of the 2026 Mariners’ many, many problems came down to miscommunications. The way the piggyback was handled is the most obvious example, causing sturm und drang amongst all the starting staff. There was the clubhouse leadership vacuum when Cal Raleigh and Brendan Donovan were both sidelined for parts (or all) of the season, and Luis Castillo was traded. Players spoke postseason about waiting for something to happen, rather than taking initiative themselves. In John Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, interpersonal or emotional intelligence is often coded as a “female” trait, which is part of why I think it’s often lacking in professional sports environments – not that I think there aren’t tons of people with strong emotional intelligence quotients working in sports, just that those voices aren’t always at the forefront. Last I checked, the Ivy League and their counterparts didn’t have an emotional intelligence module. 

I want a manager who understands people – how to regulate bigger and brasher personalities, how to draw out quieter voices, how to empower people to lead, how to make everyone feel safe and seen – and how to get their people to be the best versions of themselves. Usually that means pushing someone into a space they’re not ready for, and dealing with the pushback from that. It can mean deputizing by force leaders who might otherwise stand on the sidelines, or changing a role for someone to make a better fit. It feels counterintuitive, but a lot of times good leadership means making people feel momentary discomfort in order to eventually settle into their best selves. I want someone who is unafraid to make those hard changes to make those things happen, but who is a skilled enough communicator to be able to make the affected parties feel like not only is the change for the best, but it is in their best interest.

Isabelle: Waiter, there’s a pop fly in my soup

The perfect manager hails from a small, unobtrusive state not traditionally associated with baseball but which has birthed two Hall of Famers. As a player, he will have experienced historichighs and been felled by his own body. He will have garnered respect beyond his playing career from some of the most recognizable leaders in the game, will have proven success as a big league manager and a compelling, daddyish air. He will have played for a beloved franchise legend, whom he credits for shaping his managerial style, and he will like horses. Most importantly, the perfect manager has a sense of humor, and can roll with the nonsense that comes from being in charge of a clubhouse of quasi adults.

(In all seriousness, I maintain that managers are like waiters: You only notice if they make magic happen for your meal or if they make a total mess of things, and otherwise you’re more likely to remember the food than you are the service, and that’s how I’d like to take in my baseball. But Kate doesn’t want Rocco, and she’s wrong for that.)

[Ed. note: with apologies to Isabelle, Kate will not have the opportunity to find out how wrong she was, as Baldelli reportedly removed his name from consideration]

Eric: First name Joey, last name Votto

Joey, hear me out. You’ll love Seattle. It’s right next to Canada so you’ll never be too far from the homeland. We have great food. Some of the best sushi and seafood in the country and an array of fine dining options that rival San Francisco and Los Angeles. We have art. We have music of all kinds EVERYWHERE you go. Seattle folks are CHILL. No one will bother you here. If they happen to recognize you, the most you’ll get is a head nod or “go Mariners” maybe. You can be yourself. You’ll thrive here in spite of being here to manage the most cosmically cursed baseball franchise in MLB. It’s okay, no one here expects you to be a miracle worker. Just do your best to make the team entertaining, keep the players loose and happy, and competitive throughout the season and hang in playoff contention as long as possible. A playoff birth is pure gravy, but not expected. You’ve been killing it on MLB TV spots, so just keep dropping analysis and insights like that in your pre and post game interviews and all the most online Mariners fans will love you forever. Do not listen to sports radio. Ever. Okay, good talk, see you at T-Mobile Park.

John: Tempest in a Seapot

The role of manager in Major League Baseball has transformed dramatically in recent decades. Once seen as the field general, the fiery leader tactically utilizing their roster to outfox and maneuver past their opponents. The last two and a half decades have been an all-out bombardment on this role, ceding centrality up the organizational chain to the general manager, president of baseball operations, or whatever other title bloat takes place. In this world, the manager is less a centerpiece to the team’s style or productivity, and instead a particularly important sheepdog. But baseball is meant to entertain, and bring joy, which comes in many forms. I would like a manager with excellent player management skills, of course, as well as an understanding of development and bullpen maintenance. But the manager is also capable of something more heartening: being an avatar for fan and player sentiment. Get out there and hurl some bags, hoot and holler on your team’s behalf. Huff and puff like the big, bad seawolf. That doesn’t mean just popping off constantly, but being willing to speak frankly and intentionally in public and in private in the way Brewers manager Pat Murphy has demonstrated the capacity for, allowing for one of the most analytical front offices in the league to credibly deliver its guidance with a hand at the helm that earns trust above and below through talk and action.

Ezra: Someone with experience both as a player and on the bench 

Dan Wilson’s lack of experience created a perfect cocktail of failure for the 2026 Mariners. The team started out slow and stumbled at every opportunity to turn it around. I think a key part of that was that Wilson was still getting his feet wet as a manager; every mistake or stumbling block was the first time he’d faced that barrier. Even with a capable and experienced coaching staff, an inexperienced leader will have a difficult time managing these situations well, and often for the first time as a manager. What worked for him as a player may not work for the current Mariners team, or it may not be communicated in a way that lets the players use it. The Mariners need a manager with experience in tough situations, big-game situations, and the playoffs. Someone who’s there to lead the team and clubhouse, not just babysit the player personalities and allow the analytics guys to make the calls, but someone who will make the tough decisions when the situation on the field calls for it. If I had to suggest someone, I think Kristopher Negrón would be a great choice to lead this team.  

Ryan: Macho Men Need Not Apply

The ideal manager can convince players who are hurt that it’s OK to be hurt and go on the injured list instead of macho manning the season into the toilet. The ideal manager can convince players who are bad that it’s OK to be bad and change roles instead of macho manning the season into the toilet. The ideal manager can convince players that “rah rah we want to win” platitudes in Spring Training aren’t sufficient on their own but require selfless action throughout the season. The ideal manager agrees to split their salary with me because of this wisdom I’ve bestowed.

Nicky V: A true gentleman

The perfect manager is like the perfect boyfriend. He’s kind, smart, and warm. He’s likable and quickly impresses your parents, no matter how cold they were ready to be after the last guy you brought in. He’s good at answering direct questions; he doesn’t a) talk in circles until you forgot what you asked, or b) give the same boring platitude when you’re mad at him. All of your friends will not be talking behind your back about how long it will be until you dump him.

At this point, you probably don’t want someone you already have history with, especially if they’ve turned you down in the past. You also should avoid someone who was recently a player – find a grown adult who acts like one! It’s time to move on from your pool of old friends, exes and co-workers. A friend of a friend would be perfect, though – someone you haven’t met directly but that you can see has a good track record of dating successfully. If their exes still really like them? Even better. 

James: Middle Manager, but like the cool kind

As many before me have said, the manager of an MLB team, in the modern interpretation of the role, functions as a middle manager. They serve to squeeze as much production as possible out of a roster as it is constructed, regardless of the financial restraints placed on the front office by ownership. How do they effectively accomplish this goal? For starters, they would manage the team the way it is designed to be managed; a square peg doesn’t fit into a round hole, and while you do want to consider different perspectives, the right candidate should match the overarching philosophy of your organization. 

Further, the ideal manager for the Mariners in 2027 and beyond would serve as a liaison between the players and the upper management. Using years of experience (preferably having made similar data-driven decisions to those they would inevitably have to make in Seattle), they would work toward the goals set by the organization and communicate to the players how their managerial decisions could be beneficial for both the team and the individual(s). They wouldn’t throw their players into a new role and leave them to speak to reporters about it before a proper conversation ever took place.

Jokes aside, the ideal manager would lead with love and passion in their heart. As a player, you want a manager who will have your back in the face of adversity. Maybe that means they’ll wear their emotions on their sleeve, or even get thrown out of a game when one of their players is wronged. A manager needs to be someone their players want to go into battle for — someone who is direct, honest and accountable. Our world is filled with middle managers, but the best ones toe a fine line with a number of interests at play.

With the offseason underway, we are taking a look at every player who appeared for the Texas Rangers in the 2026 season.

Today we are looking at lefthanded relief pitcher Robby Ahlstrom.

Ahlstrom was another pitcher who made his major league debut in 2026, although he’s been on the radar for some time before that. Acquired on the eve of the 2022 season from the New York Yankees, along with Albert Abreu, in exchange for Jose Trevino,* Ahlstrom made it to Frisco in the second half of the 2023 season. At that point, he started being discussed a possible major league bullpen option in the future.

* That was a trade that worked out poorly for the Rangers. That offseason, they had acquired Mitch Garver from the Twins for Isiah Kiner-Falefa (who ended up then being sent to the Yankees, where he was teammates with Trevino). Trevino and Jonah Heim competed that spring for the job of backing up/sharing time with Garver. At the time, it seemed like the smart move, given Garver’s injury history (and Trevino’s, for that matter) would have been to send the player who didn’t win the backup job to AAA, as Heim and Trevino both had options remaining. Instead, the club sent Trevino to the Yankees, with the organization indicating that they wanted to send Trevino somewhere he could play in the majors.

Garver, as it turned out, only played 42 games at catcher for the Rangers in his two seasons with the club, and Texas ended up playing Heim more than was probably ideal, with guys like Meibrys Viloria and Sam Huff and Sandy Leon and Austin Hedges getting more playing time than you’d probably have liked in those two seasons. Trevino had a really good 2022 season for the Yankees, putting up a 2.3 bWAR, being named to the All Star team and winning a Gold Glove. He was middling the following two seasons, was traded to Cincinnati, and is currently about to start the third year of a 3 year, $15M deal he signed with the Reds. In retrospect, the Rangers could have used him.

Along with Ahlstrom, the Rangers got reliever Albert Abreu, who was a Ranger for two months and one day before being traded to the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Yohanse Morel. Morel was released after the 2023 season by the Rangers, Abreu was waived by the Royals and claimed by the Yankees, was released by them after 2023, and other than a brief stint in AAA for the Reds in 2025, has been out of affiliated ball since then.

Ahlstrom split 2024 and 2025 between Frisco and Round Rock, putting up sub-2 ERAs for Frisco and sub-4 ERAs for Round Rock. His command problems, though — he had an 11.5% walk rate in the minors in 2024, and a 13.8% walk rate in the minors in 2025 — meant he didn’t get a look on the big league roster, and was left exposed to (and went unselected in) the Rule 5 Draft after both seasons.

Improved command at Round Rock to start the 2026 season — in the first two months of 2026, he walked just 8 of 116 batters faced for Round Rock, while striking out 33, allowing a .185/.241/.269 slash line — made him a more viable option than he had been in the past. And with the Rangers’ overall bullpen struggles, opportunities abounded for relievers to get chances in the big leagues. Ahlstrom was called up on June 1, when Gavin Collyer was sent down and Chris Martin went on the injured list, and got his first opportunity two days later, when he retired all four Cardinals hitters he faced — two on strikes — in a 5-3 Rangers loss.

Ahlstrom got off to a great start — he didn’t allow a run until his sixth major league appearance, and allowed just one run in 9.1 innings over his first nine appearances — but was not able to sustain that level of success. In an eight game stretch in late June and early July, he allowed multiple runs in five outings, ballooning his ERA up to 7.07.

Ahlstrom went on a heater after the All Star Break, with his first 13 post-ASB appearances being of the shutout variety. Things then went sideways again, as he allowed 13 runs over 7.1 innings over 8 outings, including allowing five home runs.

The last of those outings saw him give up three runs, including two home runs, in an inning of work against the A’s on September 2. Ahlstrom pitched just four more times in the majors the rest of the season, being bounced up and down between Arlington and Round Rock, though he only pitched one more time in AAA.

For the season, Ahlstrom allowed a 6.08 ERA in 37 innings over 42 appearances, though with a 4.31 xERA and 5.18 FIP. From June 26 through the end of the season, Ahlstrom put up a 7.81 ERA and 5.88 FIp in 27.2 innings, walking 12, hitting three batters, striking out 28 and allowing seven home runs.

The gopher ball issues that cropped up late in the season are particularly notable, as Ahlstrom did a good job of keeping the ball in the park in the minors — even in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Ahlstrom has allowed just 0.7 HR/9 in his 103.1 career innings. I’m not sure if it was a matter of Ahlstrom trying to be more aggressive in the zone to cut down on walks, or if something else was at work there.

Ahlstrom had significant platoon splits, with righthanded hitters pounding him to the tune of .257/.388/.514, though he wasn’t good enough against lefties, either, as they put up a .270/.299/.419 slash line against him. His control issues, though, manifested primarily against righthanders — he walked 13 and struck out 15 in 85 plate appearances against righthanded hitters, while he struck out 19 and walked 2 lefties in 79 plate appearances.

The good news is that Ahlstrom appears to have suffered from some bad luck in facing lefthanded hitters — he has a .250 xwOBA against lefties, compared to his .313 wOBA, and a .322 xSLG versus a .419 actual SLG. That would suggest that, surface numbers aside, he’s someone who should be able to be effective against lefties going forward. He had a .382 wOBA/.384 xwOBA against righties, so the whole spread between his expected and actual numbers comes from southpaws.

Statcast shows Ahlstrom as being excellent in regards to average exit velocity allowed and hard hit rate, though that would be more encouraging if his K and walk rates weren’t both below average. With a 94.4 mph average fastball velocity, he’s in the 49th percentile. He is a five pitch pitcher — unusual for a short relief guy — though his curveball and changeup both got pounded, with xwOBAs over .400. Not surprisingly, those are pitches he uses almost exclusively against righthanded hitters. His slider also got pounded by righthanders. Maybe Ahlstrom should see if he can try throwing a cutter — really, he needs something to neutralize, or at least not get hammered as hard by, righthanded hitters.

Ahlstrom is 27 and should have three options remaining. He showed enough, I think, that he’s going to get the opportunity to stick around for a while as an optionable bullpen arm, assuming he doesn’t fall apart. The ideal role for him in 2027 is to be in Round Rock as one of the first guys to get called up when the pen needs reinforcements. Unless he takes a big step forward, though, he’s not someone you want making 60 appearances in your big league pen.

Previously:

Nolan Kingham

Sam Haggerty

Joe Maddon, the manager who helped guide Tampa Bay's baseball franchise out of its woebegone Devil Rays phase and into an era of enduringly surprising success, will throw out the first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series Monday, Oct. 26 at Tropicana Field.

In the first World Series game played at the Trop since Maddon's 2008 Rays squad defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 2, these Rays will aim to start the climb out of a 2-0 hole against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Maddon, 72, managed in Tampa Bay from 2006 to 2014, a stint that began with a 101-loss season in 2006. By 2008, the club shed the "Devil" from its nickname, debuted a rookie named Evan Longoria and won 97 games and the AL East. It was a stunning rise: A club that had never posted a winning record, never lost fewer than 91 games, boxing out the behemoth New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to win the East and, ultimately, the AL pennant.